In a vote of 40-59, Sen. Tom Coburn’s (R-OK) Amendment No. 436 to immediately eliminate the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) and the tariff on imported ethanol was quashed. Coburn’s proposal needed 60 votes to move forward but fell short by 20 votes. Shortly after the news hit, the ethanol industry began calling for “real reform.” “The fight is …
Brazil Exports Ethanol, Struggles to Meet Its Ethanol Demand
This month, Brazil has resumed exporting ethanol to the United States, at the same time the country is struggling to meet its own country’s demand for ethanol to fuel is flex fuel vehicles (FFVs). Ethanol producers in the country have expanded exponentially – there are more than 115 ethanol plants many of which have come online since 2005. However, despite …
Thune/Klobuchar Bill Endorsed by Ethanol Industry
Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) along with a bipartisan group of nine other Senate colleagues have introduced the Ethanol Reform and Deficit Reduction Act. The bill is designed to modify the current Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Incentive (VEETC), which is a set tax, to a variable tax incentive tied to the price of oil. To help open …
Spotted in DC
This advertisement was spotted in Washington DC this week and is part of a Beltway campaign being deployed by the Renewable Fuels Group (RFA). The ethanol organization is also advertising on politically geared websites as well as in DC political magazines such as Roll Call. This is just one element of a broader campaign the group is currently engaged in …
Diesels, LLC Formed to Buy & Sell Biodiesel
A new company has been formed to aid biodiesel companies sell their product. Diesels, LLC, the new company, will be managed by biodiesel consulting group, Lee Enterprises, based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Wayne Lee, principal owner of Lee Enterprises Consulting said he is pleased his company has been selected to lead the new company. “Diesels, LLC was formed by four …
Ethanol Industry Supports Veterans
Memorial Day may be over but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t think about our veterans for another year. This past holiday, Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC) and the FlexFuel Vehicle Awareness Campaign partnered with the Volunteers of Underage Military Service (VUMS) with a procession of ethanol and hybrid electric vehicles in a Memorial Day parade in Washington, D.C. The purpose …
New Study Assesses Wood For Biofuels
Wood waste has been one of the feedstocks most studied for viability as a biofuel. Today a new study evaluates the promise of wood waste biofuels by reviewing 12 technologies and 36 projects that convert wood to fuels including ethanol, butanol, diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel. This particular area of research has garnered strong public and private investment and drop-in …
Rancho California Water District to Add Solar
The Rancho California Water District (RCWD) is going solar. They have hired SunPower to design and construct two solar power systems that will total 1.7 megawatts (mW) at two of their facilities. It is anticipated that the solar systems will save RCWD nearly $8.5 million in energy costs over the next 25 years. Back in 2009, SunPower completed a 1.1 …
BioJet & Abundant Biofuels Merge
It’s official. BioJet International, a developer of bio jet fuels, and Abundant Biofuels Corporation, an integrated feedstock development company, have merged. With this merger in place, Abundant is now a wholly owned subsidiary of BioJet but its affiliates will continue to operate under the Abundant name and brand. Abundant is best known for its Philippine Jatropha Project and today has …
City of Tucson Doubles Solar Power
The City of Tucson, Arizona has doubled its solar power capacity through a completed project in partnership with the Tucson Water Department, Trico Electric and SunPower Corp. The 1-megawatt, ground-mounted solar power system was designed and built by SunPower and located on former agricultural land located within Tuscon Water Department’s underground water storage and recovery facility. In addition to the …